James Toback Is Not Happy About Scorsese and DiCaprio's 'Gambler' Remake

If Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest directors of all time, was planning on remaking a film that you wrote (and one that was loosely based on your life), you'd have to be pretty pleased, right? Well, not if you are James Toback. Toback is the man behind the 1974 film 'The Gambler,' starring James Caan (who was nominated for his role as Axel Freed) and Paul Sorvino. So why is Toback upset that Scorsese, along with Leonardo DiCaprio, will be remaking his classic? Well, because they never gave poor James a heads up that it was being done. Toback recently took to Deadline to voice his complaints about the whole situation. The letter he wrote is pretty fascinating, and if you are a fan of the film, it's worth reading in its entirety. However, the stuff regarding his displeasure with the remake is below. It might seem odd that my initial response to the news of the purported remake would be something south of "flattered and honored," but the truth is that my main feeling was one of disbelief that I was learning of these plans at the same time and in the same fashion as any of the regular devoted readers of this column. It struck me as particularly odd since I have been a friend and unlimited admirer of Leonardo [DiCaprio]'s since our initial encounter in 1994 when we were, in fact, all set to close a deal on his playing the lead in 'Harvard Man' ... Equally odd was not hearing anything from Irwin Winkler who, I was soon to learn, is to be the producer on this projected new version as he was on the original. [via Deadline]

Chasing Madoff

Financial analyst Harry Markopolos provided testimony during a Senate Banking Committee hearing regarding the Bernard Madoff scandal. A Cohen Media Group release of a Jeff Prosserman production. Produced by Prosserman. Executive producers, Jeff Sackman, Anton Nadler, Randy Manis. Directed, written by Jeff Prosserman, based on the book "No One Would Listen" by Harry Markopolos.With: Harry Markopolos, Frank Casey,Neil Chelo,Gaytri Kachroo, Michael Ocrant.With the tone of a horror-thriller, a flamboyant disregard for the ordinary rules of nonfiction and a hero who's an accountant, "Chasing Madoff" is upbeat in style and downbeat in conclusion: Bernard Madoff, perpetrator of the biggest Ponzi scheme in the history of Wall Street, could have been stopped in his Guccis a decade before his $18 billion scheme was exposed and his 150-year prison sentence handed down. Economic fatigue may dampen ticket sales, but writer-helmer-producer Jeff Prosserman's docu could have a healthy homevid afterlife, despite some strange directorial choices and a central figure as off-putting as he is tenacious. That figure is Harry Markopolos, a financial analyst and fraud examiner who, according to Prosserman's brisk, thorough account, spent five minutes with Madoff's numbers back in 1999 before declaring the man a charlatan. Markopolos was then working for the Boston-based Rampart investment firm, and his boss, Frank Casey, was trying to lure away some of Madoff's clients. On paper, Madoff's record couldn't be topped, but none of it made sense to the Rampart team, which included Casey, Markopolos and VP Neil Chelo (all used to great effect here). But they couldn't get anyone to act, least of all representatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission, who come in for the brunt of the film's angry, far-reaching indictments. As depressing as it is, the scandalous story behind "Chasing Madoff" is ultimately the stuff of righteous indignation, so Prosserman needn't have resorted to quite the bag of tricks he empties here. Markopolos, who pursued the case for years despite getting nowhere with the press, the government or institutional investors, says several times that he doesn't like to be called a hero, even as he allows Prosserman to paint him as exactly that. Seldom has the use of dramatic re-enactments and staged setups been quite this undisciplined: Much time is devoted to Markopolos' background -- his prep-school education, his officer's status in the Army Reserve, his Catholicism and, in one of several miscalculations, his paranoid enthusiasm for firearms. Admittedly, it would be naive to think he was in no danger: Considering the money, reputations and lives at stake, and the fact that those involved in the Madoff ripoff had already proven themselves unscrupulous, Markopolos can be excused for having looked over his shoulder. But when he talks about having rehearsed a "battle drill" with his wife in case the SEC came to his house to seize his documents, "Chasing Madoff" wanders into Cuckooville. No concrete threats were ever directed at Markopolos (not according to the film, at least), which doesn't stop Prosserman from amping up the action: One re-enactment -- or rather, enactment -- imagines a bomb going off in Markopolos' car; another suggests the contract killing of the Markopolos family. It's all very unnecessary, given the craven villainy and incompetence Prosserman very convincingly and cogently lays out when he sticks to the facts. The film also missteps in giving too much screentime to grandstanding New York Congressman Gary Ackerman, berating SEC officials during a televised House hearing on Madoff and repeating the same points over and over, and the weepy Madoff victims (identified via their account numbers), who come off as sympathetic but not exactly noble. They weren't giving their money to Amnesty Intl.; they were motivated by greed and the literally fantastic returns Madoff was "producing." As the film tells us, 300 firms have been identified as having aided or abetted Madoff; there have been about a dozen arrests. "Chasing Madoff" is a useful reminder that all is far from well with our financial institutions, which continue to lobby for less regulation rather than more. But the human element of the film is so weirdly distracting it often deflects from its primary target. Production values are tops, notably David Fluery's stirring if occasionally overwrought score.Camera (color/B&W), Julian van Mil; editors, Jeff Bessner, Garry Tutte; music, David Fluery; art director, Harrison Yurkiw; sound, Dimitri Tisseyre; sound designer, Dan Kuntz; re-recording mixer, Jason Perreira; associate producers, Mary Konieczny, Kris King, Gaytri Kachroo, Laurence Payne,Julian van Mil. Reviewed on DVD, New York, Aug. 23, 2011. Running time: 90 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Jeb Brody Named Focus Features' President of Production

Jeb Brody has been named president of production at Focus Features.our editor recommendsFocus Features Acquires Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom'Focus Features firms up 2010 slate He will report to Focus CEO James Schamus and president Andrew Karpen. Brody replaces John Lyons, who is returning to work as a film producer. He begins next month and will be based in the West Coast offices, but oversee the production teams in place in New York and London as well. Prior to Focus Features, Brody was the president of production of Vendôme Pictures. "Jeb is an exceptionally talented executive with great taste and instincts, with a genuine track record of making successful, smart movies. We're thrilled to have found an ideal successor to John Lyons," said Schamus and Karpen in a joint statement. Added Brody: "I've long admired Focus; for close to a decade now, they've consistently made remarkable movies from visionary filmmakers. Under John's leadership, the production team in place at Focus has already put together a terrific slate for next year, and I can't wait to work with them to complete those projects and get new ones started. Related Topics Hirings-firings

Scabbard Samurai (Saya zamurai)

A Shochiku release of a Yoshimoto Kogyo, Kryoraku Sangyo production. (International sales: Phantom Film, Tokyo.) Produced by Akihiko Okamoto. Executive producer, Hisaya Shiraiwa. Directed, written by Hitoshi Matsumoto.With: Takaaki Nomi, Sea Kumada, Itsuji Itao, Tokio Emoto, Ryo, Rolly, Fukkin Zen-Nosuke, Shuma Shimizu, Kazuo Takehara, Masatoh Ibu, Jun Kunimura.A samurai pic for the post-"Jackass"/"Takeshi's Castle" extreme-stunts generation, Japanese production "Scabbard Samurai" reps an odd blend of goofy, sometimes cruel slapstick and straight-up swords-and-honor period drama. Onetime TV comedian-turned-helmer Hitoshi Matsumoto's third feature, about a disgraced samurai forced to make a depressed child smile or commit ritual suicide, ultimately proves frustrating as sloppy timing ruins some perfectly good gags, while the would-be tragic conclusion feels unearned. Pic cumed a less-than-heroic $6 million after its domestic release in June, but could develop a small cult following abroad like the helmer's previous feature, "Symbol." Bespectacled, poker-faced Takaaki Nomi, who started out as an amateur on helmer Matsumoto's TV show "Working Middle-Aged Men Theater," here plays samurai Kanjuro Nomi, who, after the death of his wife, symbolically removes his sword from its scabbard and abandons his duties to go on the run with his prepubescent daughter Tae (wee scene-stealer Sea Kumada). After three assassins -- femme O'Ryu the Shamisen Player (Ryo), Pakyun the Pistol Boy (Rolly), and the magnificently titled Gori Gori the Chiropractikiller (Fukkin Zen-Nosuke) -- fail to slay him, Nomi falls into the hands of the Lord of the Tako Clan (Jun Kunimura), who imprisons him. If Nomi can make the Lord's young son smile for the first time since the kid's mother died (from the same epidemic that killed Nomi's wife), he can live. If he fails, he must commit seppuku, but he has 30 days to try a gag each day. Nomi starts off fastening bits of fruit to his face and snorting noodles up his nose, but his efforts escalate to ever more dangerous levels (shooting himself out of a cannon, pretending to be a human firecracker), as the kid proves to be one tough audience. With his pug-faced features and cuddly paunch, thesp Nomi cuts an adequately comic figure even before he starts sticking things up his nose, but the pic's efficacy will hinge on whether auds find this kind of self-injury intrinsically funny. Scenes go on just a bit too long too often, but just when the crushing grind of gags starts to get repetitive, Matsumoto picks up the pace and opts to develop Nomi's relationship with his kindly jailors (Itsuji Itao as the more dignified one and Tokio Emoto as his splendidly gormless sidekick) and daughter Tae, who is initially disgusted with her father's unbecoming behavior. However, the tonal shift from cartoonish, knockabout japery to tearjerking drama in the final stretch will alienate some viewers, especially Westerners not accustomed to the more mercurial emotional weather of Japanese cinema; it doesn't help that much depends on understanding the sacrosanct nature of Nipponese codes of honor. Pic looks OK, with classy use of period details and ingenious Rube Goldberg-like contraptions in the later stages of Nomi's ordeal. With a little script tinkering, "Scabbard Samurai" could provide a plausible vehicle for a remake for someone like Terry Gilliam, albeit on a bigger budget.Camera (color, HD), Ryuto Kondo; editor, Yoshitaka Honda; music, Yasuaki Shimizu; production designer, Etsuko Aikoh; art director, Yutaka Mogi; costume designer, Masae Miyamoto; sound (Dolby Digital), Tatehiro Okamoto; supervising sound editor, Masatoshi Katsumata; re-recording mixer, Tadaharu Sato; visual effects supervisor, Yasushi Hasegawa; line producers, Masahiro Harada, Kenichi Kamata; associate producers, Keisuke Konishi, Ryohei Naka; assistant director, Masaaki Yoshimura; casting, Masunobu Motokawa. Reviewed at Locarno Film Festival (Piazza Grande), Aug. 11, 2011. Running time: 103 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Jason Bateman to become listed on ID Thievery

Getting seen latest film The Modification-Up flop quite spectacularly in the US box office, Jason Bateman is planning to return to the equine for approaching comedy ID Thievery.Initially written for 2 male leads, the film follows the endeavours of Bateman's character because he has his identity stolen with a scam artist.However, getting viewed Melissa McCarthy's scene-stealing submit Bridesmaids, Bateman has pressed for that role to become re-written for any female artist. Consequently, McCarthy is apparently in foretells co-star.Initially composed through the Quest For Happiness's Steve Conrad, the script is presently being mucked around with by Craig Mazin (The Hangover Part 2), without any director attached up to now. In addition to starring, Bateman will even double-as the film's producer.ID Thievery will mark another part of on McCarthy's quickly climbing journey to some-list status. She lately plastic box herself a job in Judd Apatow's This Really Is Forty, has offered a comedy pitch to Vital and it is set to host the following season of Saturday Evening Live.ID Thievery is placed to start shooting in April 2012, once McCarthy's hit Television show Mike And Molly continues hiatus.

Dying to Belong

When Lisa starts her freshman year of college, everything seems perfect. She has a new job on the university paper, a handsome new boyfriend, Steven, and together with her new roommate, Shelby, she's pledging a sorority. Her world changes drastically during the sorority's "hell week" as new pledges are asked to perform degrading tasks. Lisa begins to wonder about becoming a sorority sister, but decides to stick it out because she's a "legacy"-that is, her mother is a founding member. During hell week, Shelby mysteriously falls from the campus clock tower late one night and dies. After getting over the initial shock, Lisa becomes convinced that it wasn't a suicide as everyone wants to believe. She begins her own investigation with Steven's help. But no one on campus will listen to them: Lisa's sorority sisters refuse to talk about that night, and the campus officials have closed the case...

DONE: AMC & Sony TV Reach Deal For 16-Episode Final Order Of 'Breaking Bad'

'Breaking Bad' Eyes Two-Season Finale AMC President On 'Breaking Bad' Order, 'Walking Dead' Budget & 'Mad Men' Deal After tense and public negotiations, AMC just closed a deal with producer Sony Pictures TV to renew dark drama Breaking Bad for a final batch of 16 episodes. The episodes are expected to be filmed together but may be split into two seasons, with a final scheduling decision to be made at a later date. The deal comes just as the series was facing two deadlines: its license deal with AMC was set to expire tomorrow and the options on the actors are up Aug. 31. The two sides have reached a compromise over the stickiest issue -- who will cover the series' budget of $3 million-plus. I hear both Sony TV and AMC will contribute. While negotiations were contentious and Sony did flirt with the idea of moving Breaking Bad to another network, the two sides started making progress over the past two weeks, leading to today's deal. With the series renewal secured, Sony TV now has to make a new deal with Breaking Bad creator/executive producer Vince Gilligan, who doesn't have a contract beyond Season 4 but is fully expected to return for the series' final hurrah. The cast, led by Emmy winners Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, may also renegotiate their deals. UPDATE 6 PM: AMC just issued a release announcing the final pickup for Breaking Bad. Here it is: New York NY, August, 14, 2011 AMC announced today that Breaking Bad, the Emmy Award-winning and critically lauded drama series from acclaimed writer/producer/director Vince Gilligan has been renewed for a 16 episode order that will conclude the series.Production on all episodes of the final order will commence in early 2012. The roll-out of the episodes and premiere date schedule has yet to be determined by the network. The announcement was made by Charlie Collier, president of AMC. Breaking Bads fourth season premiered on Sunday, July 18th to the highest ratings ever for the series. Household ratings are 30% stronger than season three and season four is delivering 28% more total viewers and over 45% more adults 18-34 than last season. "From the day we heard Vince Gilligan's completely original vision for Breaking Bad, it has been a complete joy to be involved with this show. Watching this story evolve into the complex, compelling, and intense roller coaster ride that it has become has been an incredible creative experience for everyone at AMC. Beyond that, working with Vince, his brilliant cast and crew, and our wonderful partners at Sony has been remarkable in every way. While it is sad to even contemplate the end of this series, we are so happy to have had the chance to go on this ride, and truly look forward to presenting the rest of this amazing story, said Collier. Its a funny irony -- Id hate to know the date of my own last day on earth, but Im delighted to know what Walter Whites will be (episodically speaking). This is a great gift to me and to my wonderful writers. Its knowledge which will allow us to properly build our story to a satisfying conclusion. Now, if we dont manage to pull that off, weve got no one to blame but ourselves, said Vince Gilligan. Breaking Bad has been a dream job these past four years. Working with the best cast and crew in television has no doubt spoiled me for future projects. Im lucky to get to work with them on sixteen more episodes, and I will always be grateful to both AMC and Sony Television, who from the beginning, believed in our show and supported me creatively and professionally. We have been able to take risks with Breaking Bad which would not have been possible on other networks. "Weve watched Breaking Bad grow over the years with viewers, as championed by the unwavering support of critics and the well deserved accolades Vince and his talented actors have received. Were looking forward to seeing Vinces masterful storytelling come fully to fruition over the course of the series final episodes, said Zack Van Amburg, President, programming for Sony Pictures Television. Breaking Bad stars Emmy Award-winner Bryan Cranston as Walter White; Emmy Award-winner Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman; Anna Gunn as Skyler White; Dean Norris as Hank Schrader; Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader; RJ Mitte as Walter, Jr; Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman; Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring; and Jonathan Banks as Mike. Breaking Bad is filmed on location in Albuquerque, NM. The series first premiered on AMC in January 2008 and follows protagonist Walter White, a milquetoast high school chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife, teenage son who has cerebral palsy and a new baby girl. White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live. With a new sense of fearlessness based on his medical prognosis, and a desire to gain financial security for his family, White chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime and ascends to power in this world. The series explores how a fatal diagnosis such as Whites releases a typical man from the daily concerns and constraints of normal society and follows his transformation from mild-mannered family man to a kingpin of the drug trade. Breaking Bad is produced by High Bridge Productions, Inc. and Gran Via Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television for AMC. Executive Producers are Vince Gilligan, Mark Johnson, and Michelle MacLaren; Co-Executive Producers Melissa Bernstein and Sam Catlin; Supervising Producers Peter Gould, George Mastras, and Tom Schnauz; Producers Moira Walley-Beckett, Bryan Cranston, and Diane Mercer; Produced By Stewart A. Lyons; Associate Producer Andrew Ortner, Staff Writer Gennifer Hutchison; and Director of Photography Michael Slovis.

Latest Abduction Trailer Online

Run, Taylor, run!How would you react should you learned that your whole existence would be a lie and also you might really be considered a vital resource produced by forces inside the CIA and stashed in suburbia? Should you spend your existence your joke dog poo factory or obtaining litter, odds are you will be quite pleased in the change of scenery. But when you are Abduction's Nathan Cost (Rachelle Lefervre), you'll soon learn it's less than as fun because it sounds. You can observe why within the trailer at Apple. Unlike the very first promo, which investigated a bit more of Nathan's existence like a teen before starting in to the action part of the entertainment, that one dispatches his previous existence with a few nods plus some title cards, then kicks into high gear. Nathan, the thing is, has been hunted by various groups and he's soon away from homeOrleapOrbattleOroperate again from dubious forces, dragging along a woman he likes (Lily "daughter of Phil" Collins) permanently measure. Have a look in the trailer and tell us your ideas...With John Singleton calling the shots, Abduction has gone out on September 30.

Gerard Butler Is 'The Bricklayer,' Seth Rogen Drafted By 'The League'

Gerard Butler is coming back towards the advantages from the law in Millennium Films' latest acquisition, "The Bricklayer." The Hollywood Reporter has got the news the "Law Abiding Citizen" star continues to be triggered board to experience former FBI agent Noah Boyd within the book adaptation. Boyd is being employed as a Chicago bricklayer when he's contacted to prevent a criminal organization demanding multimillion-dollar ransom obligations. "Enigma" scribe Hanna Weg is writing the script. Browse the relaxation of present day casting news following the jump! Brit Marling Potentially Among "The Organization You RetainInch "Another Earth" star Brit Marling is circling Robert Redford's latest movie "The Organization You Retain,Inch Variety is confirming. The flick is definitely an adaptation from the Neil Gordon novel of the identical title, and it is being modified by Lem Dobbs. Redford is pointing and starring within the movie alongside Shia LaBeouf. Tyler Posey Will get A "Taco Shop" Variety has got the scoop that "Teen Wolf" star Tyler Posey will probably be starring within the indie comedy, "Taco Shop." He stars like a guy who leaves his job in a taco joint to spread out their own, but eventually ends up finding themself in the center of a taco war whenever a gourmet taco truck parks itself next door. Joaquin Perea is pointing the flick, and Carlos Alazraqui, Eric Roberts, Felipe Esparza, Laura Harring, Paula Jai Parker, and Parvesh Cheena complete the cast. Seth Rogen To Guest On "The League" Seth Rogen is coming back to his television roots to create a guest appearance on FX's comedy, "The League." Vulture is confirming that he'll be playing Dirty Randy, a buddy of Jason Mantzoukas' character, within the approaching third season. To date there is no word yet on when Rogen's episode will air. Stars Flock To "Sesame Street" PBS's "Sesame Street" is getting within the celebs because of its 42nd season, which begins September 26. The Hollywood Reporter has learned Emma Stone, Andy Samberg, Seth Rogen, Robin Williams, Can Be, Nicole Kidman, Mark Ruffalo, Mila Kunis and Sofia Vergara all will be showing up, amongst others. We are able to only imagine the kinds of skits these talents may have about the children's show. Inform us your ideas on present day Casting Get in touch with your comments ought to section below or on Twitter!

Russell Crowe Joins Mark Wahlberg in 'Broken City'

Dario Cantatore/Getty Images Russell Crowe has signed on to star opposite Mark Wahlberg in Broken City, a political thriller being directed by Allen Hughes. Brian Tucker wrote the original screenplay for the $60 million project, which is being financed and produced by Emmett/Furla Films. Tucker's storyline involves an ex-cop who is hired by the mayor to look into whether his wife is cheating on him. After the detective confirms the mayor's suspicions, the wife's paramour turns up dead and a larger scandal begins to surface. Crowe will play the duplicitous mayor to Wahlberg's investigator. Wahlberg, Hughes, Randall Emmett, George Furla and Stephen Levinson are producing. The WME-repped Crowe last starred in The Next Three Days and Robin Hood. His next films include Man of Steel for Warner Bros. and The Man With the Iron Fists for Universal. Mark Wahlberg Russell Crowe Movie Casting

TCA: Paul McCartney Plays Concertmaster For Showtime Doc 'The Love We Make'

Ray Richmond is contributing to Deadline's coverage of TCA. TCA: McCartney Says He Will Meet With Police As Part Of Hacking Probe Sir Paul McCartney paid a visit to TCA for a noontime discussion with critics via satellite from the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, where he was prepping for a concert tonight, to discuss his 10-year-old 9/11 benefit concert footage that's been packaged into a Showtime feature-length documentary special. The Love We Make: The Concert For New York City premieres the evening of Sept. 10, the night before the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It's a black-and-white, cinema-verite piece that looks a decade back in the rear-view mirror at how the star-studded show at Madison Square Garden came to be. Relaxed, chatty and forthcoming and wearing a collarless jacket that would soon become part of the conversation, McCartney said it was the forthcoming 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that spurred him to contact filmmaker Albert Maysles, who shot the footage and packaged with film in partnership with Bradley Kaplan. "It seemed like a good opportunity," he said. "I called Albert up and ask if the footage was still around. He said, 'Yeah,' and I said, 'OK, let's do it then.' (The project) was reawakened by the 10th anniversary." Back on the fateful day, McCartney reflected on how the original show came to be. It turns out he was nearly airborne in New York airspace himself. "I was on my way back to England, having just had a short visit to America. We were at JFK on the tarmac when the pilot said, 'We can't take off.' And out of the window on the right side of the aircraft you could see the Twin Towers had this plume of smoke, and then a second shortly thereafter. I said, 'That's just an optical illusion. It's some little fire or something.' We looked at that for a while and one of the stewards came by and told me there was a real problem outside. We got off the plane and unloaded to Long Island, where we watched it all unfold along with the rest of the world. While I was sitting twiddling my thumbs, I got to wondering if there was any role I could play in this. And the idea came to me to do a concert. It grew from a conversation with Harvey Weinstein, and finally MTV." McCartney also discussed his current concert strategy with his latest band. "The proportion of Beatles songs (we do) has grown quite a lot," he said. "We try to mix in a lot of stuff, from Wings, from my solo stuff. But the largest proportion these days is Beatles stuff, because I try to give audiences what they want. And a lot of that is Beatles stuff. It's not bad music." There was finally a question about McCartney's unique attire on this day. "What, this is what's in fashion here in Cincinnati," he insisted. "It hasn't come to Los Angeles yet." That led into a query about what he likes to watch on TV himself. Maybe American Idol or America's Got Talent? Not so much. "I like to watch a lot of sports actually," McCartney stressed. Then he admitted, "I sometimes get completely hooked on the shopping channels. Excuse me. Where do you think I got this collarless jacket?"